Nakamura Tomijūrō II as the Wife (Nyōbō) Oryū, actually the Spirit of a Willow Tree (Yanagi no sei) (R), Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII as the Woodcutter (Kikori) Magosaku (C), and Nakamura Nakasuke II as the Villain (Warumono) Iwamatsu (L) 「女房おりう実柳ノ精」 二代目中村富十郎 「樵夫孫さく」 市川団十郎 「悪者岩松」 中村仲助

Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
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Period
1854, 3rd month -
Geography
Japan -
Material
Ink and color on paper -
Dimension
H x W (521a (right)): 35.3 × 25 cm (13 7/8 × 9 7/8 in) -
Accession Number
S2021.5.521a-b -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_S2021.5.521a-b
Object Details
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Artist
Utagawa Kunisada 歌川国貞 (1786-1865) -
Publisher
Kiya Sojiro 木屋宗次郎 (active 1851-1904) -
Block carver
Ota Tashichi (Komakichi) 太田多七 (active ca. 1834-1882) -
Label
When an imperial falcon becomes entangled in the branches of a willow tree during a hunt, a kindly man named Heitarō intervenes to prevent the tree from being cut down. Shortly after, he meets a beautiful woman, Oryū, who bears him a son. Several years later, woodcutters return for the tree, and this time they cannot be stopped. Before vanishing, Oryū (right) reveals herself to have been the grateful spirit of the willow all along—the swirling leaves around her hinting at her true nature.right: Nakamura Tomijūrō II as the Wife (Nyōbō) Oryū, actually the Spirit of a Willow Tree (Yanagi no sei)center: Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII as the Woodcutter (Kikori) Magosakuleft: Nakamura Nakasuke II as the Villain (Warumono) Iwamatsu -
Collection
National Museum of Asian Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints (March 23 to October 6, 2024) -
Origin
Japan -
Credit Line
The Pearl and Seymour Moskowitz Collection -
Type
Print -
Restrictions and Rights
Usage Conditions Apply
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